New restaurant to open in Blackfoot

August 20, 2011

BLACKFOOT – How would you like to have a dish at Blackfoot's newest restaurant named after you? It could happen—all while helping a good cause.
Bingham County Relay for Life is just $2,000 short of reaching their goal, so they are asking community members to donate $10 by Aug. 31. In exchange, one name will be drawn and a new menu item will be named after them.
Local business owner Kevin Rupe and his son Tyler plan to open Tommy Vaughn's Grill, a new sports grill set to open soon in Blackfoot. The restaurant is named after Tyler's 9-month-old son, Kevin's grandson. The restaurant will replace PBG's across from Jensen Grove.
Kevin Rupe says the menu will feature prime rib, ribeyes, fillets, pastas, seafood, signature salads, sandwiches, desserts and "a ton of appetizers."
"It will be really good food for a good value," said Kevin Rupe.
The restaurant will have separate sections to accommodate a variety of customers. It will include three dining rooms plus a banquet room and the outdoor patio. There will be 18 big screen TVs that will always be playing sports from football to rugby to NASCAR.
Kevin Rupe says the first dining section will be "the type of place you want to go after work, maybe have a drink, get something to eat."
The second section will be "less chaotic, but a great place for families." Kevin Rupe says "there will be no TVs in the back section—it will be the place for a nice, quiet dinner with no distractions."
The building will undergo major additions to the kitchen and Kevin Rupe says "we've got to get rid of some of the fancy stuff and throw some NASCAR hoods on the walls."
Kevin Rupe will continue to work the day shift at his popular Rupe's Burgers and head to Tommy Vaughn's at night to work alongside his son Tyler.
"This restaurant is really Tyler's baby," said Kevin Rupe.
While Tommy Vaughn's in tentatively scheduled to open mid-October, Relay for Life officials encourage everyone to stop in to Rupe's Burger before Aug. 31 and make their donation to Relay for Life. The $10 donation cards are ready to pick up at Rupe's. People may enter as many times as they want.
Rupe jokes that the menu item will just depend on the name of the winner.